Missing
by Skynote
Summary: When an unseen force invades the Smashers' lives, three are taken and one is left delirious. As search parties are sent to find the missing and the remaining Smashers lay on edge, the enemy remains at ease…watching from a closer distance then they think.


**Chapter One: Rampage **

Samus Aran stormed through the halls of Smash Mansion, eyes darting in every direction. "You there!"

Falco turned and sighed once he saw the female bounty hunter. "Still haven't seen him, Samus." He gave her a look before turning into a next hall.

Aran whipped back around, only to see a figure speeding towards her. "Master Hand! I need to tell-

'No time Samus, busy, busy day! Running the Mansion, planning tournaments – and still waiting for Crazy to finish his errands – but since you're here I'll have you tell Peach and Zelda they are in the next tournament.' With that, Master Hand entered the nearest door with a slam.

Sighing at the oak door he'd entered, Samus racked her brain for the most logical place the two princesses could be in the Manor.

* * *

><p>"Tea, Zelda?" Peach asked while pouring a cup of steaming tea for herself.<p>

Even though the sun beat down on the patio deck, when they sat under the umbrella table, the heat was bearable. Making Peach's tea all the more enjoyable. "Thank-you, Peach," Zelda said.

Before Zelda's lips could even touch the cup, swift footsteps thumped on the deck, and Samus Aran was standing before them.

"Zero Suit Samus!" Peach greeted, grabbing for a third cup.

"You two are in the next tournament." Was all she said before turning away.

Peach pouted. "You don't want any tea?"

"Samus, is there something wrong?" Zelda set down her cup.

She stopped in her tracks. "What makes you think that?"

"You seem troubled."

A stiff exhale escaped Samus. "I might as well tell you considering…it relates to both of you." Their eyes locked onto Samus as she turned around.

"Please, sit." Zelda pulled over a third chair, though the bounty hunter shook her head.

"Before Crazy Hand headed up to Smashville, he put me in charge of watching the Teleporters. The Smashers that had been selected for today's Brawl had left prior so my wait should've been short. But they never came back."

Zelda frowned. "Are you sure you hadn't miscalculated the timing of their return?"

Aran shook her head. "Positive. They'd left half an hour before I'd gone down to wait. That gave me an hour-and-a-half wait. But three hours after their timed return, I knew something was wrong. I tried contacting them, but all I got was static. I tried again. There was static… but Mario's voice broke it." Samus looked at Peach.

Zelda felt the Mushroom Princess stiffen next to her. "Oh, dear…what did he say?"

Samus paused as Yoshi scuttled by, chasing a butterfly. "I made out…something to do with the stage…crashing. And that their Teleporters were down. In the background I heard the crowd screaming and an odd screeching noise…."

The Hylian princess met eyes with Peach. "You say this relates to us…since Mario and Link were two of the four Smashers." Zelda looked up at Samus. "Why have you not told Master Hand this yet?"

She sighed again. "When I found him, he was preoccupied enough where I couldn't finish a sentence. I don't-

A _BOOM _vibrated the Smash grounds, ceasing all action around the Mansion. Inside, distant footsteps sounded and shouts and yelps rapidly followed. The three female Smashers dashed into Manor, tracking the yells towards the front of the Manor.

"_Someone get Master Hand!_"

"_What's wrong with him?"_

"_Restrain him!_"

The outbursts echoed through the wide halls of the Mansion, making Zelda pick up the skirt of her dress to run faster. When they rounded the corner they entered the Entrance Hall. At the end, the tall, arched doors were wide open; the source of the booming noise.

A crowd of Smashers were gathered around, the rest following behind the three of them. Zelda peered through the crowd, but she didn't have to try long since the commotion behind the people broke through, making the Hylian stop in her tracks at what she saw.

At the base of doors stood Link, the Hero of Time, her childhood friend. But he looked almost unrecognizable in his state. Blood drenched his pants, his familiar green tunic hung off of him in shreds. His hat he couldn't live a day without was nowhere to be seen, exposing his blonde hair that blood managed to soak in. And his smile, his friendly, contagious smile, was long gone. His eyes had a crazed glaze over it. His teeth were bared and a growl escaped his throat when he unsheathed his sword.

And he was charging in their direction.

A flash of blue sped by Zelda's eyes and then Marth was in front of them, his sword meeting with Link's in a sharp metallic cry.

"Link-!

The Prince of Altea was suddenly flying towards the wall. A crash sounded as Marth made contact with a display table, its legs giving away. The Smashers gasped and some cried out at the sight of the unconscious prince.

Zelda looked back to Link, only to see him clashing swords with Ike. She gasped Link's name, but Samus held her back. Link's agility served the upper hand, but Ike's brute strength beat him after the sixth or so clash. The green clad elf fell backwards to the floor, his Master Sword clattering out of his grasp. He reached for it, but Ike pinned him down.

"Someone...take…the sword…away!" Ike yelled through his struggling.

A pair of heavy boots echoed on the marble floor as Ganondorf reached down and picked up the Master Sword. This time, Samus let her run.

"Unhand that sword, Ganondorf!" Zelda said. Though she barely came up to the geurdo's shoulder, she did not back off as he took a step in her direction.

"Do you think, Princess, that I will do something…unforgivable?" The glint in his eye made her swallow.

'Coming through, coming through – what is this? Sonic had just come to me saying-

An odd hush fell through the crowd. All eyes – excluding Ike and Link's – locked onto the great white Hand that floated through an opening the crowd made. Master Hand drifted towards Ike who was now gripping the screaming Link by his shoulders. He looked over to where Marth - who was regaining consciousness – lay groaning.

'What happened?'

"Link's gone on a rampage!" Falco exclaimed.

Master Hand froze as he turned about. 'Where are Mario, Fox and Kirby?'

Murmurs rose through the crowd, people exchanged glances. Zelda looked around like others, but she didn't see the faces of the three said Brawlers.

The sound of flesh meeting bone broke the whispers and everyone looked down. Ike was wiping his fist on his tunic and stood while Link remained out cold.

"I had to do it since he would've escaped me," Ike said.

Master Hand took in the new sight before him. 'I want you, Ike, to carry Link up the infirmary. I can sense Crazy Hand returning so he will be up there momentarily. Falco and Snake, since you're right there, help Marth up the stairs.'

Ike picked the Hylian up from the floor while Falco and Snake took Marth by an arm and helped him to his feet. As they started for the spiral staircase, Link stirred. Ike stopped in his tracks – along with the three behind him - and the crowd sucked in a breath.

Even Zelda's ears couldn't make out what he was saying until Link repeated – or she assumed repeated – the word for the umpteenth time.

"No..."

A whisper.

"No…no…"

A groan. And then a shout, and then a scream, until Link was thrashing in Ike's arms.

"_No! No, no, nooooooo!_"

'DK and Falcon, accompany Ike to the infirmary!' Master Hand ordered.

"_NO! NO! NO!_"

Falcon and DK flashed by and wrestled Link into a stable position while Ike awkwardly carried him up the staircase.

Samus held Zelda as she watched with her hands covering her mouth, as tears started to build in her eyes. She and everyone else couldn't rip their eyes away from the scene, even when they were all out of sight.

Link's screams of "no" continued to echo over and over and over. Until it was deathly silent.


End file.
